Grade 7-8 students make new friends during lunchtime

Friday

Oct 28, 2011 at 2:00 AMOct 28, 2011 at 8:23 AM

NORTH HAMPTON — Instead of sitting with their usual BFFs while they devoured their chicken nuggets for lunch, North Hampton School seventh- and eighth-graders were assigned to sit with new dining companions as part of Mix It Up at Lunch Day.

Lisa Tetrault-Zhe

NORTH HAMPTON — Instead of sitting with their usual BFFs while they devoured their chicken nuggets for lunch, North Hampton School seventh- and eighth-graders were assigned to sit with new dining companions as part of Mix It Up at Lunch Day.

The event, a nationwide initiative under the Teaching Tolerance, by the Southern Poverty Law Center, was organized locally by teacher Molly Mansfield. The program will continue every Thursday throughout the school year.

"We're trying to get the students to go outside their comfort zone, to sit with students they wouldn't normally sit with at lunch," said Mansfield, an eighth-grade educational assistant. "For me, the best part is when I see two students who normally don't interact much realize they have something in common, such as love of a book. It opens up a new world for them. We're trying to make the boundaries come down."

This year, 2,402 schools nationwide participated in Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Nearby schools in Dover and Somersworth also took part.

According to its Web site, www.tolerance.org, the program "encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries. ...; Studies have shown that interactions across group lines can help reduce prejudice. When students interact with those who are different from them, biases and misperceptions can fall away."

At the beginning of the school year, Mansfield with help from other staff, distributed surveys to the seventh- and eighth-grade classes. Students were asked about favorite colors, books, foods, if they have pets and other similar background questions.

Mansfield compiled the lists and separated the students into groups of five, all with something in common. The students were charged with talking to each other over lunch to determine what they had in common.

Most of them figured it out, but as it was the first lunch, according to Mansfield, a few needed clues. Some of the commonalities included favorite book (Harry Potter series), favorite Web site (Facebook), favorite food (pizza), favorite subject (science), dog lovers and favorite pizza topping (pepperoni).

A couple of students said they enjoyed the opportunity.

"We all know each other, as we've been going to school together for so long," said Mary Diharce, an eighth-grade student. "But it was kind of cool to eat lunch with people you don't usually eat with."

Another student agreed.

"It's good to get to know everybody in your own grade," said Patrick Witt, an eighth-grade student.

One student, who admitted she can be a bit shy, said she enjoyed the program.

"It's OK since I know everyone here," said Megan Wilson, an eighth-grade student. "But if it had been a bigger group, it wouldn't be as much fun."

Because the school is relatively small — 59 students in the eighth-grade class for example — most of the students already know each other. And the school runs kindergarten through eighth grade, so they've been together for years.

But, according to Mansfield, that does not mean that cliques don't exist.

"They end up developing a group of friends," Mansfield said. "They're drawn together from being in class together, or they play a sport together, or some other common factor. They have that social group. They're developing who they are as people and this is part of that experience. But, we've noticed if we let them sit where they want, they always sit with the same group of friends."

One additional benefit to the program, according to Mansfield, aside from breaking down barriers can be helping students who might be a little uncertain who they want to sit with at lunch. "We're taking the burden off of them to choose where to sit," Mansfield said. "They know they are not being excluded or included in a certain group. They're assigned seats, which for some students could be helpful."

Teachers also benefit from the program, as they participate in the survey as well.

Mansfield originally tried the program last year with assistance from Ashley Sargent, a sixth-grade educational assistant. But it didn't go as well, Mansfield said, as they only asked the students to sit with different people and didn't assign them to tables.

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